


That's New

by katling



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2019 [12]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Shifters, Canon Divergence - Post-Iron Man 1, Gen, He gets better, Post-Iron Man 1, Sick Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 06:22:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18309953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: This was asked for my a number of people and my muses played ball - Tony's back from Afghanistan and paying the price for not shifting for over three months. When he finally does... it turns out to be more interesting than he expected.This is a continuation of a my Shifter verse, which now has it's own series tag so it's easy to find them.Written for the Tony Stark Bingo 2019 - Square K5: Sick Fic





	That's New

**Author's Note:**

> I made a few very minor alterations to canon - firstly, Tony is considering telling Rhodey and Pepper about Yinsen and secondly, although it's suggested in Iron Man that Rhodey knows about the arc reactor, I decided to go the route that he obviously knows there's something glowy in Tony's chest but Tony put on a show and got them out of Afghanistan back home without Rhodey (or anyone else) getting a good look at it. Partly because of his issues over the reactor and partly because he was feeling the effects that are more obvious in this fic.

Tony woke up and then immediately regretted it. He felt like he had the mother of all hangovers, which would be fine if he’d spent the previous night drinking but he hadn’t touched a drop since he’d gotten back from Afghanistan so it seemed like cruel and unusual punishment to feel like this without the normal cause for it.

“Good morning, Sir,” JARVIS began and Tony immediately waved him silent with a low, pained moan.

He sat up and wished he hadn’t. Once he was upright, the way he felt became less ‘raging hangover’ and more ‘if the universe doesn’t kill me now, I’m going to be very disappointed’. It was like having the flu, a hangover and a migraine all at the same time and he hated it. He also knew the cause for it.

“J?” he mumbled as he slowly levered himself to his feet and staggered towards the bathroom. “How’s the research going?”

“I’m afraid it is inconclusive, Sir,” JARVIS replied, his voice muted to something barely above a whisper, much to Tony’s open relief. “Amputee shifters report being able to shift with their artificial limbs and that the limb shifts with them. No explanation as to how has been found. There are reports that shifters with pacemakers are able to shift with little difficulty however…”

“This is a little bigger than the average pacemaker,” Tony replied, tapping on the front of the arc reactor. 

He’d turned the shower on while JARVIS had been talking and, after a short pep talk to remind himself that this was a shower and that drowning himself in it was both a horrifyingly nightmarish thought after what had happened in Afghanistan and not a solution for how he felt because JARVIS would shut off the water flow long before he could manage it, he climbed in and started to wash. The shower actually did make him feel a little better, especially once he turned the water to something just below body temperature. It was cool enough to clear his head but not so cold he was shivering. It was… nice.

When he stepped out of the shower and started getting dressed, he continued the conversation he’d been having. “What about shifters with something like plates in their head or other parts of their bodies?”

“They also appear to have little difficulty shifting,” JARVIS replied. “In the end, I have concluded that the question as to whether you will still be able to shift is… inconclusive but tentatively positive.”

Tony scrubbed his face with one hand. “So fifty-fifty?”

JARVIS was silent for a moment, as though he didn’t want to answer the question. Finally, he sighed. “Yes, sir.”

“Not that it matters,” Tony replied. He walked out of his bedroom and winced at the light in the living room until JARVIS dimmed the windows and lights. “I have to shift. This isn’t going to get better and I’ve read the reports about what happens to shifters who don’t shift. I’ve already gone three months. I think the only reason it’s hit me so hard now is because I’ve been operating on adrenaline for most of the time.” He grimaced. “And the adjustment period for the reactor was… unpleasant enough that I didn’t notice when it stopped being about that and more about me.”

“Did… your companion not notice?”

Tony smiled faintly at JARVIS’ delicate enquiry. JARVIS was the only one he’d told about Yinsen because the AI had become curious when Tony had started looking up information about the man, especially about the conference Yinsen had mentioned. Once he’d started his halting explanation, Tony had found the words had then come pouring out of him, had found himself _wanting_ to tell someone about this good, kind man who had saved his life in more ways than one. He wanted to tell Rhodey and Pepper as well – he was sure they suspected he hadn’t been alone in his captivity – but it was hard getting the words out. He’d try though. Yinsen deserved to be remembered.

“I think he did. But he wouldn’t have said anything unless it became absolutely necessary. The world _suspects_ I’m a shifter but it’s never been confirmed. There’s no way he would have given me away to the people holding us unless he’d had no other option.”

“A brave man,” JARVIS replied, approval colouring his voice. “I wish I could have met him.”

Tony laughed even though it made his head thump unpleasantly, his chest ache and his throat feel raw. He wasn’t sure how much was because he was sick and how much was from grief. “You’d have liked him and he’d have liked you. And you both would have ganged up to bully me into looking after myself.”

“I regret not knowing him even more now,” JARVIS said dryly. “Perhaps I should call Colonel Rhodes in the meantime? Or his mother?”

Tony’s eyes widened. “No! Well, no to Mama Rhodes. I love her dearly but she’s a force of nature, that woman.” He paused and licked his lips. “But… yes to Rhodey. He… he’s known about my other form for years.”

“I’m placing the call now,” JARVIS replied.

Tony nodded and wandered over to the couch. He wanted to work on the ideas he had for the Mark II suit but he didn’t feel up to staring at holograms right now. He didn’t think it’d be long before Rhodey got here anyway. He knew his friend had wrangled a deal to stay close, selling it to the Air Force that it was about whatever was in his chest, not to mention the debrief he’d managed to avoid thus far, instead of the concern he knew his honey bear felt. As such, he wasn’t surprised when less than an hour later, Rhodey wandered into the room, pulling off his jacket and tossing it over the back of a chair before collapsing down beside him.

“Hey, platypus,” he said wanly as he shifted over to let himself lean against his oldest friend.

“Hey, Tones,” Rhodey said softly. “How long has it been since you shifted?”

“That obvious, is it?”

“Mmhmm,” Rhodey replied. “I kind of suspected shortly after we found you but you put on a pretty damn good show to hide it. But this… yeah, I’ve seen this sort of thing before. How long?”

“Not since before,” Tony mumbled. “So… over three months.”

He felt the way Rhodey tensed and heard his indrawn breath. “Shit, Tones… why? Why haven’t you already shifted?”

Tony wriggled one hand free and tapped his chest. “This.”

Rhodey was silent for a moment. “Going to let me have a look?”

The question was so calm and non-judgmental that Tony felt all his apprehension just evaporate. He nodded and moved away from Rhodey, then turned to face him and raised the t-shirt he was wearing. He saw the shock on Rhodey’s face, which quickly morphed into anger.

“I hope they’re all dead,” he snapped. He reached out then pulled his hand back again.

“They are,” Tony replied. He licked his lips and took as a deep a breath as he could manage even though it made things hurt. “It’s okay. You can touch it.”

Rhodey looked him in the eyes, searching for something that he obviously found because he then nodded and reached out again, gently brushing his fingers over the arc reactor and then the scar tissue around it. “Shit,” he breathed. “What happened?”

Tony gave him a quick rundown of what Yinsen had told him and he wasn’t surprised at the sharp, assessing look he got in return. 

“There was someone with you,” Rhodey said. “A doctor.”

Tony grimaced and nodded. “Yeah. I… he…” He ducked his head as he lost the words to explain.

Rhodey’s hand suddenly rested warm and comforting on his shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me everything now. When you’re ready, Tones, and not a minute before.”

Tony nodded then snuggled back into Rhodey’s side. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Why don’t you shift now,” Rhodey suggested. “You can curl up in my lap for the rest of the day or until Pepper gets here. Then you can lap surf.”

Tony smiled into Rhodey’s shoulder. “Yeah, about that. Not the lap surfing, the shifting thing. I’m… not sure how it’s going to go with the reactor. Or if it’s going to go at all.”

He felt the way Rhodey tensed underneath him then Rhodey ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay. We’ll deal with that as it comes. Just… try and shift.”

Tony nodded and let himself finally relax enough to shift. As he did, he became aware of two things – first, that he was indeed still able to shift and second, he sure as shit wasn’t a cat anymore.

Rhodey also realised the second bit pretty quickly and he leapt to his feet with a yelp and backed away as Tony shifted and grew and grew and grew. Once he was finally done, Rhodey was backed up against the wall and all of his furniture was smashed to smithereens. He was also feeling uncomfortably cramped despite how large and airy the room was.

For a moment, Rhodey just stared then he licked his lips and pointed a finger at Tony’s new form. “That’s new.”

Tony snorted and then yelped and backed away as tendrils of flame shot out of his nose. Something else crunched underfoot as he moved and he stilled again.

“That’s also new,” Rhodey said. He took a tentative step forward and placed a hand on Tony’s scaly forearm. “Tones? You okay there?”

 _I’ll get back to you on that one_ , he thought, a edge of what he felt was entirely understandable hysteria colouring his words, and then stopped and exchanged startled looks with Rhodey with he realised his friend had _heard_ that. Telepathy wasn’t the norm for shifters. It seemed to only crop up with the larger and more dangerous shift forms as well as the avian shifters. Rhodey had always been able to ‘path him when he was a bear but Tony’s cat hadn’t had that ability.

Rhodey suddenly snickered and then snorted then started outright laughing. Tony glared at him for a moment then after he figured out how to shift back from this new form, he couldn’t help but join in. Once they got themselves under control, they found themselves sitting amongst the rubble of his furniture, leaning against each other and wiping tears from their eyes.

“Only you, Tones,” Rhodey said with a grin. “Only you would end up as a red and gold dragon after a traumatic event. Couldn’t go with a more prosaic expression of the way you’ve changed, like becoming a tiger or something?”

Tony snickered, utterly relieved that Rhodey wasn’t going to force him to be serious about the trauma he’d been through. Trauma that was bad enough to utterly change his shifted form. Because Rhodey had a point. It wasn’t unheard of for trauma to change a shifted form but usually the change was an upgrade, like a cat to a tiger, not a completely different form. And to have it be one of the mythical forms… well, Tony wasn’t sure what that said about what he’d been through and what he was as a person now and he didn’t really want to think about it right now either.

He stuck a patently false haughty expression on his face. “Of course not, sugarplum. I’m Tony Stark, you know. Nothing but the best for _me_.”

Rhodey giggled, which set off Tony again and they both sat and laughed until Tony finally had to clutch at his chest and bring himself under control. Rhodey immediately turned into his protective brother bear self and once Tony was breathing more comfortably, they leaned into each other again.

“Did I see the arc reactor in your chest?” Rhodey said quietly.

Tony frowned. “J?”

Holograms burst into life around them, showing pictures of Tony’s dragon form. “It has shifted with you, sir,” JARVIS said, enlarging one of the images that showed the arc reactor sitting in the middle of the dragon’s chest. Tony couldn’t help but think that it looked a lot more protected there than in his very fragile human chest.

“ _Tony_?”

Both Tony and Rhodey turned at the sound of Pepper’s voice, so filled with shock and worry. Tony pasted an innocent look on his face that made Rhodey immediately start giggling again.

“Pepper!” he said in a cheerful tone. “Would you believe me if I said I can explain?”

Pepper looked from the ruined furniture to Tony’s artfully innocent expression to Rhodey practically falling over giggling and though she sighed, Tony didn’t miss the glimmer of amusement under it all. There was a reason why she’d lasted as his PA.

“This had better be good,” she said archly as she picked her way through the wreckage to join them.


End file.
